Andrea Armstrong

Andrea Armstrong is an artist based in Vancouver, BC, with roots in rural Indonesia, small-town Manitoba, and metropolitan Singapore. She specializes in character-driven art, in the form of traditional portraiture, children’s book illustration, and more recently animation. She graduated from Capilano University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication. 

Hi Andrea! Tell us about yourself - how did you get to where you are today and when did you first become interested in art and design? 

I loved to draw as a child, but did not have many opportunities to learn art as I was either homeschooled while living abroad, or attending a small high school in a Canadian farming community with no art classes. I took a few part time art classes after high school here and there, which eventually gave me the confidence to pursue a full time visual arts program. 

How would you describe your aesthetic and how has your design style changed over time? 

Warm, playful, humanist, whimsical. As an illustrator I am particularly interested in creating human characters. Over time I’ve allowed my work to come out more naturally, as I let go of ideas of what my work “should” look like.

I’ve found that when I let my creative process be guided by love, the work draws from a deeper source. That love is unattached, curious, and playful. It sees more clearly, expresses more truthfully, and connects with other souls more deeply. That sounds a bit woo-woo, but I often wonder if there is, in truth, something mystical about this process. 

How did you discover Noun Project and what lead you to start designing icons?

I returned to university after 10 years of receiving my diploma, to finish up a Bachelor’s Degree. An instructor in one of my courses introduced me to Noun Project, and I created a small set of character icons to submit. 

Are there particular themes you like to explore through your work?

Yes. I love to draw myself! In my personal work, illustrating myself has been a really powerful way of working out questions of identity and processing big emotions. I am my own muse!

This reminds me of an exercise that a therapist once gave me – to draw pictures of the parts of myself that felt disparate, as a way of tangibly integrating these parts. It was a powerful experience, and since then I’ve used this approach during times of heartbreak and healing.

What’s your creative process like and how do you approach creative collaboration? 

The work I do for clients is so varied. I’m currently creating 80+ illustrations for an online public legal education resource, doing graphic design for a non-profit, illustrating a picture book, and creating animations for a dance video. So my process differs from client to client. But, I always aim for clarity in communicating expectations, deliverables, and process.

What’s been one of your favorite projects to work on so far and why? 

A few years ago I was commissioned by a community housing foundation to paint an 8 foot canvas for their community lounge. My vision was to celebrate the ever-expanding definition of “family,” as is discovered in intentional community. I painted a wall of gallery style portraits, imagining the assortment of humans who might feel at home in that space. For a month I spent every day painting faces, and loved every minute of it!

I’ve used a range of mediums throughout my career. I LOVE painting in oils, and prefer this approach for portrait work. However it is not an ideal illustration medium. I started to enjoy working digitally when I discovered Procreate, and that is now my preferred illustration medium. 

Digital is so accessible and flexible, and allows me to play more without worrying about wasting materials. It doesn’t offer the same kind of sensory pleasure that I get from oil painting. I really love both though. 

Where do you find creative inspiration? 

I’m inspired by the diversity of people in my community and neighborhood. People are so interesting, and I love to discover the unique weirdness that each of us holds.

I also have a 5-year-old niece! We video chat regularly, and our play takes us to imaginative places that I wouldn’t be able to access on my own. I love that collaboration.

Do you have any favorite design resources?

Nothing too unique – Youtube and Instagram. Youtube for troubleshooting animation and motion graphics problems. Instagram for following my illustration and animation crushes :)

What advice would you give to artists and designers just starting out? 

Look for that sweet spot between taking this work seriously, and not taking this work too seriously. Don’t identify too tightly with your work; you are so much more than the art that you create!

And make time to play! Paint and draw comics with the kids in your life, go to a cafe and sketch people, make sidewalk chalk drawings, join an art therapy group, play the Exquisite Corpse game with friends, keep a visual journal – do creative activities that have nothing to do with skill-building or producing a marketable product. This can be challenging for those of us who are attempting to earn a living from our creative work. 

Thank you for sharing with us Andrea! To view more of Andrea’s work visit her website, follow her on Instagram, and check out her icons on Noun Project.

Andrea was nominated by Noun Project. All art courtesy of Andrea Armstrong.

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